חָסִיל
𐤇𐤎𐤉𐤋
châçîyl
H2625 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A destructive migratory insect, specifically a type of locust associated with devastation of crops. The term denotes a stage or kind of locust noted for its ravaging behavior, often as an instrument of agricultural ruin. In poetic and prophetic literature, the word can symbolize overwhelming destruction. Semantic range includes its literal entomological reference as well as metaphorical connotations of devastation.
Semantic Range
locust (ravager), destructive locust phase, agent of crop devastation, symbol of overwhelming destruction, (rarely: caterpillar as a generic devourer)
Root / Etymology
From the root חָסַל (ḥ-s-l), meaning 'to devour, destroy, consume.' חָסִיל (châçîyl) is a noun form deriving from this root, signifying the agent of destruction, specifically applied to locusts in Hebrew usage.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָסִיל occurs primarily in the prophets and poetic texts. It appears as part of lists of various destructive insects (e.g., Joel 1:4, 2:25), alongside אַרְבֶּה (arbeh, standard locust), יֶלֶק (yeleq, 'grasshopper' or 'hopper'), and גָּזָם (gazam, another kind of locust or crop devourer). The term does not specify a biological species but rather refers to a particular phase, kind, or aspect of the locust plague as experienced in the ancient southern Levant. Ancient translations render it differently, e.g., LXX as βροῦχος, suggesting some uncertainty as to species. Some English versions use 'caterpillar,' but modern scholarship agrees this primarily refers to a destructive locust rather than a lepidopteran. The word does not carry specific religious or ethnic meaning, but the devastation symbolized is often tied to divine judgment in the Hebrew Bible. Semantic overlap exists with other Hebrew terms for locusts, each term targeting a different nuance or stage in the locust's lifecycle or destructive behavior.
Translation Consistency
'Locust' is the natural, commonly used English noun for the destructive migratory insect the Hebrew term denotes. It fits both the literal entomological sense and the frequent metaphorical sense of overwhelming agricultural devastation, and is the standard choice in English Bible translations (clearer and more precise than the rarer 'caterpillar' or abstract nouns like 'ravager').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָסַל; the ravager, i.e. a locust; caterpillar.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
חסל (châçîyl) — to devour, destroy, consume
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2628 | חָסַל | he will devour him |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2625-02 |
הֶֽ/חָסִ֑יל | hechasil | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the caterpillar | the ravaging locust | the ravaging locust | 2 |
H2625-01 |
חָסִיל֙ | chasil | HNcmsa |
caterpillar | devouring locust | caterpillar | 1 |
H2625-03 |
לֶ/חָסִ֣יל | lechasil | HRd/Ncmsa |
to the grasshopper | to the devouring locust | to the devouring locust | 1 |
H2625-04 |
וְ/חָסִיל֙ | vechasil | HC/Ncmsa |
and caterpillar | and ravaging locust | and caterpillar | 1 |
H2625-05 |
וְ/הֶ/חָסִ֣יל | vehechasil | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and-the-destroyer | and the devouring locust | and the devouring locust | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2625-01 |
1 Kings 8:37 | חָסִיל֙ | chasil | HNcmsa |
caterpillar | devouring locust | caterpillar |
H2625-02 |
Isaiah 33:4 | הֶֽ/חָסִ֑יל | hechasil | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the caterpillar | the ravaging locust | the ravaging locust |
H2625-02 |
Joel 1:4 | הֶ/חָסִֽיל | hechasil | HTd/Ncmsa |
the stripping locust | the ravaging locust | the ravaging locust |
H2625-05 |
Joel 2:25 | וְ/הֶ/חָסִ֣יל | vehechasil | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and-the-destroyer | and the devouring locust | and the devouring locust |
H2625-03 |
Psalms 78:46 | לֶ/חָסִ֣יל | lechasil | HRd/Ncmsa |
to the grasshopper | to the devouring locust | to the devouring locust |
H2625-04 |
2 Chronicles 6:28 | וְ/חָסִיל֙ | vechasil | HC/Ncmsa |
and caterpillar | and ravaging locust | and caterpillar |